Surgical bone wax is a relatively safe and inert hemostatic agent that is commonly used in a variety of surgical procedures to mechanically plug bleeding bony structures and elicit immediate hemostasis. Since commercial bone wax typically consists of beeswax, isopropyl palmitate and softening agents such as paraffin, the material is minimally resorbable and remains in the body for the lifetime of the patient following surgery.
The continued post-operative persistence of bone wax is the most critical issue regarding the potential for future complications. There have been case reports of bone wax-related complications that include the development of post-thoractomy paraplegia and tumor. The persistent foreign bone wax may also result in immune responses to the bone wax. Furthermore, the residual bone wax can migrate out of the original site of application following surgery. Migrated bone wax can exert compressive forces on the spinal cord, leading to debilitating paraplegia that requires a second operative procedure to remove the displaced bone wax. Accordingly, there exits a need for the development a bone wax that is biocompatible and has similar physical properties to conventional bone wax.